Bangladeshi man arrested with fake Indian passport in Kolkata

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): A Bangladeshi man, who had been staying in Kolkata with a fake Indian passport, was arrested on Saturday. The accused was identified as Selim Matabbar a.k.a Safiq Sardar, a resident of Madaripur in Bangladesh. However, in the fake passport, Matabbar identified himself as Rabi Sharma, a resident of Rajasthan. Matabbar illegally crossed the borders almost two years back and with the help of some local agents, he managed to get a fake Indian passport.

"With the fake Indian identity, he also managed to get a job at a hotel located in Marquis Hotel which comes under the jurisdiction of the Park Street Police station. He had been working at the hotel since then," Kolkata Police sources said. On being informed by their sources, the cops of Park Street Police Station arrested him from the hotel. The sources said that initially after crossing the borders illegally, he resided at Bangaon near the Indo-Bangladesh international borders in the North 24 Parganas district. "He managed to get an AADHAAR card for himself and subsequently the passport. After getting the passport, he shifted to Kolkata and managed to get the hotel job," the sources added.

The cops have booked him under the Foreigners' Act and on charges of forgery. The sources said that the police had received information that in Bangladesh, he was associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Commenting on the development, BJP state president in West Bengal and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said that under Mamata Banerjee's leadership, West Bengal has become a "haven" for illegal infiltrators, driven by her appeasement politics. "Neighbouring country's citizens infiltrate India effortlessly, securing IDs, while her government obstructs central efforts to establish Border Outposts (BOPs) and openly criticises the BSF. Does the Chief Minister intend to shield these infiltrators? After witnessing Bangladesh's plight, will she still refuse to act? She owes the nation an explanation," he added.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police has strengthened the security in front of the office of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission near Park Circus in South Kolkata, following a series of protest marches towards that office against the event of attacks and atrocities on the minority Hindus in Bangladesh.